London landlord convicted for gas safety breaches

A north London landlord put his tenants' lives in danger by failing to uphold basic gas safety standards, a court has heard.

In 2013, Vispasp Sarkari was caught by a National Grid engineer while repairing a boiler while unqualified to do so. The alarm was first raised by a report that Mr Sarkari had been working on gas equipment in a flat inhabited by a family including children.

It subsequently emerged that he had carried out unauthorised and dangerous gas work on a number of other occasions.

Mr Sarkari, of Harrow, received a 12-month prison sentence - suspended for two years - in a hearing at Southwark Crown Court yesterday. He was also ordered to pay a fine of £10,000 and costs of £9,978 as well as carrying out 150 hours' unpaid community work.

"As someone carrying out unregistered gas work, and allowing another person to undertake similar illegal work in his properties, Vispasp Sarkari put a number of the tenants, their families and friends, at serious risk of harm," said Health and Safety Executive inspector Lisa Chappell.